 | abichara (60)
06/05/2007 |  There has been a boomlet as of late for former US Senator Fred
Thompson's candidacy for President. Much of the interest in
Thompson can be directly connected to conservative dissatisfaction over
the top three contenders. So, is Thompson the moderate
conservative that Republicans can rally around. Probably not for
a few reasons.
Yes, there is still space in the Republican field for a late entrant to
make a difference. But in order to do that, you need a candidate
who has universal name appeal and can raise money quick. Let's
face it, in today's political environment, you need money and
organization to win the nomination. Some think that it will take
$100 million just to win the nomination! That is the major
hinderance Thompson will face. It is simply too late to enter the
race. The Senator hopes that using the internet to spread the
word about his candidacy and raise cash will work for him, much like it
did for Howard Dean 3 years ago. However online politics has
limitations: politics is still all about pressing the flesh, tv
ads, and working the newspaper boards. Online politicking is used
by younger voters, but older voters still rely on traditional means to
get the word out about their candidacies--and older voters vote more...
That said, Thompson is articulate, calm and reassuring. He can
certainly play the role of President, and if he gets some positive
press going, he might be able to make a difference in the race.
However, he is going to need to be more aggressive if he expects to
mount an insurgent campaign. While Giuliani, McCain, and Romney,
the big 3, have some significant negatives, they still have a monopoly
on news coverage, money, endorsements, and organization.
(4 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) |
 | irishgit (135)
02/26/2006 | Character actor elected to the Senate in 1994. In 2002, while still serving as a Senator, Thompson joined the cast of Law and Order. He left the Senate when his term expired in 2003.
(3 voted this helpful, 0 funny and 0 agree) |
